Italy have parted ways with coach Luciano Spalletti.Spalletti confirmed the news during a press conference ahead of Italy’s World Cup qualifier against Moldova on Monday.Spalletti has learned he will no longer take charge of Italy from Tuesday onwardsAFP via Getty“I spoke with [Gabriele] Gravina last night and he told me that I will be relieved of my duties as coach of the national team,” Spalletti said. “I was sorry. Given the relationship we have, I had no intention of giving up. Especially when things aren’t going well, I would have preferred to stay and do my job. “However, it is a dismissal and I have to take note of it. “I have always interpreted this role as a service to the country and I want to facilitate the future of the national team. I think it is right to seek the best.”Spalletti confirmed the Moldova clash would be his final match in charge.“I’ve always maintained that my players were strong,” Spalletti said. “The results under my management are these and I have to take responsibility. “I love this shirt, this job and the players I’ve coached. Tomorrow night I’ll ask them to demonstrate what I asked even if I wasn’t able to get them to express their best.”However, the press conference took a turn when a reporter asked Spalletti if he felt ‘betrayed’ by someone within the Italian set-up and what type of Italy he was leaving behind.The former Napoli boss refused to answer the question and instead walked out of the room.Spalletti headed for the exit midway through his press conferenceGettySpalletti’s impending departure comes just two days after the Azzurri slipped to a humiliating 3-0 loss to Norway in their first World Cup qualifying match.Three first-half goals did the business for the Norwegians as they improved to three wins from three and sit first in Group I of the UEFA qualification groups.Israel are second in Group I while Estonia are third, with Italy and Moldova in fourth and fifth respectively.First place automatically seals qualification for next year’s World Cup while second will advance to a play-off, as the bottom three will be instantly eliminated.In Italy’s favour, they have played only one qualification match while Norway, Israel and Estonia have all played three.But there was evidently enough belief among Italy’s decision makers that Spalletti was no longer the right man.Italy’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign got off to a horror startFIGC via GettyAs for Spalletti’s replacement, multiple reports have pinned Stefano Pioli as the likeliest successor.Pioli is in charge of Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr but had spent his entire career coaching in Italy before he made the move to the gulf region last September.However, Italian outlet Corriere della Sera claimed former Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri is also a shock candidate to replace Spalletti.But the publication adds Roma are confident Ranieri, who is now in a senior advisory role at the club, will remain.Ranieri came out of retirement last November to steer Roma away from the relegation zone and lead the Italian giants to an impressive fifth-place finish.He has since been replaced by former Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini. The 73-year-old, who famously led Leicester to the most unlikely of Premier League titles in the 2015/16 season, has repeatedly stated he has no intentions of coaching againBut the lure of coaching his country for the first time in his legendary career may prove tempting, should a formal offer be extended his way.